Rising Stars: Meet Michelle Lo Piccolo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Lo Piccolo.

Hi Michelle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
Ever since I was in high school, I always had a love for hosting. It was that love for bringing people together that led me to pursue event coordination opportunities and jobs throughout high school and college.

Fast forward to my senior year of college, that’s when I found my calling of coordinating travel. I had the chance to study abroad in Malta for 5 months, and that’s when I discovered my love for travel. I had dreamed of starting a business for a while, but I felt like I had finally found my purpose once I returned from my study abroad trip.

I worked for a travel agency right out of college. I was only there about 6 months when I had suffered some injuries from a car accident that required me to go to physical therapy. My work schedule would not allow me to do the PT I needed, so I decided to quit my job and see if I could build something on my own.

That car accident turned out to be the catalyst I needed to launch my business.

I started my business, The Mosaic Way Travel Co, in October 2019, and then COVID hit in March 2020. It was a scary time, and the industry was completely shut down. I knew there would be a big travel boom when things settled, so I decided to take on freelance work while I built my business in the background.

I am so glad I stuck with it because now, 4 years later, I have been able to grow my business into something I never dreamed of.

The Mosaic Way Travel Co. started from a love of travel and hosting and now is a remote travel agency that offers custom travel coordination services. We coordinate honeymoons, family trips, retreats, and more! Our mission is to help our clients have transformative travel experiences designed just for them.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I started my business in October 2019, and then 5 months later, COVID-19 hit in March 2020. This was definitely a wild time to be starting a travel business, but I knew this is what I wanted to do, so I decided to continue building my business and wait for the world to open back up.

Besides the pandemic, I think the biggest struggle is overcoming all the mental obstacles I’m sure most entrepreneurs deal with. I always tell people building your own business is a huge personal development experience, and it really pushes you to your limits.

You quickly figure out your strengths and weaknesses as a business owner. I know this is my calling because even on my worst days, I know there is nothing else I would rather do, and I truly get so much joy from working with my clients and coordinating tours & retreats.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The fun part about being a travel agent is that you get to pick a niche that you are passionate about. When I started, I wasn’t 100% sure what direction I was going to take, but over time, I learned I loved coordinating custom trips, AKA FIT Travel (Flexible Independent Travel), which means the trip is designed specifically for that client.

The client isn’t tied to a group schedule, and every aspect of the trip can be customized. This means every time a client calls the destination, and the itinerary request is unique.

I have found that a lot of travel agents tend to coordinate Disney trips, cruises, and resorts and flip out the same trip, but I love researching new places and learning new things, so that is why creating custom trips is something I am very passionate about.

Every client I meet is different and has so many dreams for their trip, which is what makes my job so special because I get to turn their dreams into a reality. A vacation is a big investment for most people and something they are looking forward to, so I pride myself on taking the stress out of the coordination process so they can truly enjoy the whole experience from start to finish.

One major thing that sets me apart from other agents is the amount of time I take with each client. It is important to me that I get a client’s trip just right, so I make sure to ask my clients lots of qualifying questions and make myself available to answers and questions or concerns my client may have.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
If you’ve never worked with a travel agent before and are wondering what the benefits are, here are some of the top things my clients say they loved about working with me:

1. Access to a travel expert for all their travel questions + concerns throughout the entire process.

2. Global connections – You will have access to vetted suppliers all over the world.

3. Organized travel plans – Every aspect of your trip will be sent to you via email in the format of a digital itinerary, expense report, and local guides.

4. Stress-free process – You won’t have to deal with decision paralysis, spending hours researching or worrying about what to do if an issue should arise during your trip – I’ve got you covered.

5. Travel perks and deals – My clients have access to extra perks and bonuses because of the relationship my agency has built with suppliers.

Pricing:

• The coordination packages are all custom, so the pricing is as well. My packages typically range from $100-$500 USD total. It varies depending on the number of stops, group size, and complexity of the itinerary.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.themosaicway.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themosaicwaytravelco/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themosaicwaytravelco/
• Other: https://www.google.com/search?q=the+mosaic+way+travel+co&oq=the&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqDggAEEUYJxg7GIAEGIoFMg4IABBFGCcYOxiABBiKBTIGCAEQRRg5MgYIAhBFGEAyBggDEEUYPDIGCAQQRRg8MgYIBRBFGD0yBggGEEUYPDIGCAcQRRg80gEIMTU0NGowajeoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Image Credits
Paige Fallis
Naomi Vrazo
Laura Schaefer